Celebrity

Jerry Springer, Politician-Turned-TV Ringmaster, Dies At 79

Published

1 year ago

2023-04-27

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Jerry Springer, the 79-year-old former mayor and television anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional families eager to bare all on weekday afternoons, including brawls, vulgarity, and blurred images of nudity, died Thursday.

In its heyday, “The Jerry Springer Show” was a rating juggernaut and a cultural pariah in the United States, synonymous with filthy drama. Over its 27-year history, the daytime talk show was a favorite American guilty pleasure, beating Oprah Winfrey’s show at one point. It was known for chair-throwing and bleep-filled confrontations.

Springer described it as “escapist entertainment,” while others saw it as contributing to the dumbing-down of American societal ideals.

“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried, whether that was politics, broadcasting, or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” Jene Galvin, a family representative and Springer’s friend since 1970, said in a statement. “He is irreplaceable, and his loss is heartbreaking, but memories of his intellect, heart, and sense of humor will live on.”

According to the statement, Jerry Springer died quietly at home in suburban Chicago following a brief illness.

Springer joked on Twitter that he was a “talk show host, ringmaster of civilization’s end.” He’d also told folks, jokingly, that his desire for them was “may you never be on my show.”

The show terminated in 2018 after more than 4,000 episodes, never veering from its fundamental salaciousness: some of its final episodes had names like “Stripper Sex Turned Me Straight,” “Stop Pimpin’ My Twin Sister,” and “Hooking Up With My Therapist.”

Springer provided a defense against distaste in a “Too Hot For TV” film broadcast in the late 1990s when his daily program approached 7 million viewers.

“Look, television does not and must not create values; it is simply a picture of everything that is out there — the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Springer said, adding, “Believe this: The politicians and companies that seek to control what each of us may watch are a far greater danger to America and our prized freedom than any of our guests have ever been or could be.”

He also claimed that the participants in his show volunteered to be subjected to whatever scorn or humiliation was in store.

Gerald Norman Springer was born on February 13, 1944, at a London tube station used as a bomb shelter. His parents, Richard and Margot, were German Jews who fled to England during the Holocaust, resulting in numerous relatives’ deaths in Nazi gas chambers. They moved to the United States when their kid was five years old and resided in the Queens neighborhood of New York City, where Springer acquired his first Yankees baseball gear and became a lifetime admirer.

He attended Tulane University for political science and Northwestern University for law. He was involved in politics for much of his adult life, even considering a bid for governor of Ohio in 2017.

He started as an adviser in Robert F. Kennedy’s disastrous 1968 presidential campaign. Springer, who worked for a law company in Cincinnati, campaigned unsuccessfully for Congress in 1970 before being elected to the city council in 1971.

Jerry Springer resigned in 1974, citing “an abrupt move that shook Cincinnati’s political community” in The Cincinnati Enquirer. He claimed “very personal family considerations,” although he did not disclose a vice investigation involving prostitution. Springer later admitted to paying prostitutes with personal checks, which could have been the subject of one of his future episodes.

Jerry Springer considered a Senate run in 2003.

He had married Micki Velton the previous year when he was 30. Katie was born to her parents, who divorced in 1994.

Springer soon rose through the political ranks, obtaining a council member in 1975 and then mayor in 1977. He then became a renowned nighttime political commentator on local television. He and co-anchor Norma Rashid eventually helped NBC station WLWT-TV’s broadcast become the top-rated news show in the Cincinnati market.

Springer’s talk show debuted in 1991 with a more traditional structure, but after he departed WLWT in 1993, it was given a sleazy makeover.

It was voted No. 1 on TV Guide’s list of the “Worst Shows in Television History,” but it was rated gold. Springer became a superstar as a result, and she went on to host a liberal radio talk show and “America’s Got Talent,” star in the film “Ringmaster,” and compete in “Dancing With the Stars.”

“With all of the joking I do with the show, I’m fully aware and thank God every day that my life has taken this incredible turn because of this silly show,” Springer said to Cincinnati Enquirer media reporter John Kiesewetter in 2011.

Jerry Springer considered a Senate run in 2003, even before Donald Trump’s political rise from reality TV celebrity, hoping to attract “nontraditional voters,” individuals “who believe most politics are bull.”

“I connect with a whole bunch of people who probably connect to me right now more than a traditional politician,” Springer. He opposed the Iraq war and supported increasing public healthcare but did not run.

Jerry Springer also frequently referred to the country he immigrated to at age five as “a beacon of light for the rest of the world.”

Jerry Springer told a Democratic rally in 2003, “I have no other motivation than to say I love this country.”

Jerry Springer had a nationally syndicated “Judge Jerry” show in 2019 and continued to speak out on a podcast about anything that was on his mind, but his shock value had dwindled in the new era of reality television and combative cable TV talk shows.

David Bianculli, a professor at Monmouth University and a television historian, claimed in 2018 that “real life lapped him not only by other programs but by other programs.”

Despite the constraints Springer’s show imposed on his political ambitions, he accepted its legacy. Springer mentioned a quotation by then-National Review pundit Jonah Goldberg in a 2003 fund-raising infomercial ahead of a probable U.S. Senate candidature the following year, who warned of new people brought to the polls by Springer, including “slack-jawed yokels, hicks, weirdos, pervs, and whatnots.”

Springer mentioned the quote in the infomercial and wanted to reach out to “regulators.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Lord of the Rings Actor Bernard Hill Dead at Age 79

Published

13 hours ago

2024-05-05

Geoff Thomas

Lord of the Rings Actor Bernard Hill Dead at Age 79

Hill Played Théoden, King of Rohan: Getty Images

Bernard Hill, who cried before leading his soldiers into war in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and went down with the ship as captain in “Titanic,” died. Agent Lou Coulson said Hill, 79, died Sunday morning.

The second film of the series, 2002’s “The Two Towers,” starred Hill as Théoden, King of Rohan. He repeated the role in “Return of the King,” which won 11 Oscars, the following year.

In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Hill’s character gives a battle cry on horseback to his overmatched forces, sending them crashing downhill toward the enemy and his own death.

“Arise, Théoden riders!” Hill yells. Shields will shatter, spears quake! Sword day, red day before sunrise! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for destruction and the end! Death! Death!

VOR News

Bernard Hill played Captain Edward Smith in “Titanic,” one of the few historically accurate characters in the 1997 tragedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The film won 11 Oscars.

Hill’s character secretly retreats to the wheelhouse as the ship sinks. He takes a last breath and clutches the wheel as water crashes through the glass as the cabin moans under the waves.

Bernard Hill became famous for playing Yosser Hughes in the 1982 British miniseries “Boys From the Blackstuff,” about five unemployed men.

He received a 1983 BAFTA nomination for the part, and the show won for best drama series. His passing coincided with the second season of “The Responder,” on which he played Martin Freeman’s father.

Lindsay Salt, BBC Drama director, said Bernard Hill’s long career of memorable and outstanding roles was a tribute to his skill. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time.”

Biography

Bernard Hill was a seasoned English actor known for his powerful film, TV, and theatrical roles. He’s most recognized for playing King Théoden in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” series. Hill was a virtuoso at depicting a complex character’s emotional journey as the once-mighty monarch brought low by Saruman’s betrayal.

Hill has produced a remarkable range of work over five decades beyond his Tolkien role. He was riveting in “Titanic,” playing Captain Smith, and “Defiance,” about WWII Jewish resistance fighters.

He excels as a Napoleonic-era sailor in “Master and Commander” and a tough detective in “Merlin.”

Bernard Hill made an impression on TV with “Boys from the Blackstuff” and “Outcasts.” He has a loyal following and critical accolades for his ability to give every character depth and subtlety.

Source: The associated Press

Celebrity

Madonna’s Biggest-Ever Concert Transforms Rio’s Copacabana Beach Into A Massive Dance Floor

Published

18 hours ago

2024-05-05

Kiara Grace

AP News - VOR News Image

Rio de Janeiro – Madonna performed a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, transforming Rio de Janeiro’s long stretch of sand into a gigantic dance floor packed with her followers.

It was the final performance of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which began in October in London.

The “Queen of Pop” opened the event with her 1998 song, “Nothing Matters.” Huge cheers erupted from the humming, dense crowd against the barriers. Others had house parties in brightly lit flats and hotels overlooking the ocean. Helicopters and drones hovered overhead as motorboats and sailboats anchored off the beach crowded the bay.

AP – VOR News Image

Madonna’s Biggest-Ever Concert Transforms Rio’s Copacabana Beach Into A Massive Dance Floor

“Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world,” Madonna, 65, addressed the audience. She pointed out the ocean view, the mountains, and the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the city, “This place is magic.”

Madonna performed her iconic classics, such as “Like A Virgin” and “Hung Up.” For the opening to “Like A Prayer,” her head was entirely covered in a black cape, and she held a rosary in her hands.

The diva paid an emotional homage to “all the bright lights” lost to AIDS while singing “Live to Tell,” with black and white photographs of those who perished from the illness flashing behind her.

Later, she was joined on stage by Brazilian musicians Anitta and Pabllo Vittar.

Rio spent the last few days preparing for the performance.

According to G1, an estimated 1.6 million people attended the show, which Rio City Hall’s tourism department organized. This is more than ten times Madonna’s record attendance of 130,000 at Paris’ Parc des Sceaux in 1987. Madonna’s official website promoted the event as the largest of her four-decade career.

In recent days, the excitement was evident. Fans gathered outside the grand, beachside Copacabana Palace hotel, where Madonna is staying, hoping to glimpse the music icon. During the sound check on the stage set up in front of the hotel, they danced on the beach.

By lunchtime Saturday, people had gathered in front of the hotel. A white-bearded man carried a banner that read, “Welcome Madonna, you are the best. I love you.”

Flags with “Madonna” printed over a background of Copacabana’s famous black and white waved sidewalk pattern were strung from balconies. The area was packed with street vendors and concertgoers dressed in themed T-shirts, sweating beneath the hot heat.

“Since Madonna arrived here, I’ve been coming every day with this outfit to welcome my idol, my diva, my pop queen,” said Rosemary de Oliveira Bohrer, 69, wearing a gold-colored cone bra and a black cap.

AP – VOR News Image

Madonna’s Biggest-Ever Concert Transforms Rio’s Copacabana Beach Into A Massive Dance Floor

“It’s going to be an unforgettable show here in Copacabana,” said Oliveira Bohrer, a retired civil servant who lives nearby.

Eighteen sound towers were positioned around the beach to ensure all attendees could hear the music. Her two-hour presentation began at 10:37 p.m. local time, about 50 minutes behind schedule.

City Hall issued a report in April indicating that the event would contribute 293 million reals ($57 million) to the local economy. The Hotel Association of Rio predicted that hotel capacity in Copacabana will reach 98%. According to the platform, fans across Brazil, Argentina, and France booked Airbnb for the weekend. According to a City Hall statement, Rio’s international airport expected 170 flights from 27 locations between May 1 and May 6.

“It’s a unique opportunity to see Madonna, who knows if she’ll ever come back,” said Alessandro Augusto, 53, who flew in from Brazil’s Ceara state, almost 2,500 kilometers (1,555 miles) from Rio.

“Welcome Queen!” ran Heineken advertisements all across the city, the words above an image of an upturned bottle cap simulating a crown.

Heineken was one of many firms hoping to profit from the frenzy. Bars and restaurants made “Like a Virgin” cocktails. A downtown boutique famous for selling Carnival garb has entirely remade itself, loading its shelves with Madonna-themed costumes, fans, fanny packs, and lingerie.

According to local authorities, the mega-event was organized similarly to New Year’s Eve, when millions of people congregate on Copacabana for a fireworks display. That yearly festival is notorious for numerous thefts and muggings, and there were concerns that Madonna’s appearance would be no exception.

Rio’s security strategy comprised 3,200 military men and 1,500 civilian police officers on standby. In the run-up to the event, Brazil’s navy inspected yachts that wanted to position themselves offshore to see the performance.

AP – VOR News Image

Madonna’s Biggest-Ever Concert Transforms Rio’s Copacabana Beach Into A Massive Dance Floor

Several massive concerts have previously taken place on Copacabana beach, including Rod Stewart’s 1994 New Year’s Eve show, which drew more than 4 million people and was the largest free rock concert in history, according to Guinness World Records. Many of those spectators also came to witness Rio’s fireworks spectacular, so a more fitting comparison could be to the Rolling Stones in 2006, when 1.2 million people flocked to the sand, according to Rio’s military police, the daily Folha de Sao Paulo said at the time.

Ana Beatriz Soares, a fan who attended Copacabana on Saturday, said Madonna had left an indelible mark over the years.

“Madonna had to sprint so that modern pop musicians could walk. That’s why she’s significant, since she acts as an influence to today’s pop divas,” Soares explained.

“And that was forty years ago, not in 40 days, but in 40 months. “It’s been 40 years,” she said.

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Kevin Spacey Denies “New Allegations” of Inappropriate Behavior

Published

2 days ago

2024-05-04

Geoff Thomas

Kevin Spacey said he has struggled to get back to work: Getty Images

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has denied new allegations of inappropriate behavior from men in a British television documentary airing next week. After his acquittal last year in a London court, Spacey told journalist Dan Wootton online that he had hard to return to work.

in the interview “Kevin Spacey: Right Of Reply” that aired late Friday on Wootton’s YouTube channel.

Four men accused Spacey of sexual assault 20 years ago, but a London jury acquitted him in July. The court victory was his second since defeating “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Anthony Rapp’s $40 million New York case in 2022.

Channel 4 in Britain and Max in the U.S. will carry the documentary “Spacey Unmasked” on May 6 and 7.

The actor indicated in an interview that the documentary will contain men’s 1976–2013 testimony.

Spacey, who won Oscars for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty,” stated, “I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions, but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about

“Never have I said that if someone gives me sexual favors, I will help them with their career,” he told AP.

Old Vic Theatre in London: Getty Images

Kevin Spacey, who was creative director of the Old Vic Theatre in London from 2004 to 2015, said that he was a “flirt” with 20-something males and made “clumsy” approaches.

“I’ve clearly hooked up with some men, who thought a relationship with me might help them advance in their careers,” he stated. “But there was no conversation with me, it was all part of their plan, a plan that was only going to fail because I wasn’t involved.”

Kevin Spacey said on X, formerly Twitter, that he had “repeatedly requested” that Channel 4 give him more than seven days to react to their documentary charges.

Spacey said the channel declined “on the basis that they feel that asking for a response in 7 days to new, anonymized and non-specific allegations is a ‘fair opportunity’ for me to refute any allegations made against me.”

“Each time I have been given time and a proper forum to defend myself, the allegations have failed under scrutiny and I have been exonerated,” he said. Spacey called his acquittal a “life sentence” and said he struggled to return to work.

Since the #MeToo movement began in 2017, his acting career has suffered. He lost his Netflix leadership role as Frank Underwood in “House of Cards”.